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House of the Future II: Common Grounds

Group Exhibition

OpenArtExchange presents the group exhibition, House of the Future II - Common Grounds featuring works by five contemporary African artists. We warmly invite you to the opening on Saturday, August 23rd at 3 PM at OpenArtExchange, Hoogstraat 85 Schiedam. 


Project House of the Future 

In June 2025, OpenArtExchange launched its House of the Future Project - a program dedicated to imagining the world of tomorrow, with its challenges, ambitions, and possibilities. Through a series of exhibitions and events, we explore the city of the future as a vibrant, sustainable, and diverse space. Common Grounds marks the second chapter in this exploration, turning our attention to the themes of social cohesion, community, and living together. As our world becomes increasingly globalised and interconnected, cities will grow more multicultural but also more densely populated. The need for social cohesion will become ever more pressing, as we learn to coexist in smaller spaces with people from widely different backgrounds. Diversity can be a powerful source of enrichment, bringing together varied perspectives, ideas, and traditions, yet it can also give rise to tensions that must be recognised and addressed. 


House of the Future II - Common Grounds

In Common Grounds, we ask: what unites us as humans? Which values do we share, and how can we redefine them for the future we want to bring together?  Through the works of five contemporary African artists, Michael Agemo, Feraul Fosso, Keita Yayé Habibi, Souleymane Konaté and Kingsley Ogwara, we take a visual journey from the collective to the deeply personal. Kingsley Ogwara explores the harmony of the mass in semi-abstract, layered works, revealing how individuals can blend into a greater whole without losing their identity. Feraul Fosso and Michael Agemo shift the focus to shared cultural anchors: the warmth of home, family bonds and communal acts of dining. Keita Yayé Habibi moves further inward, turning to the intimate stories of women with vitiligo in African societies, celebrating resilience and difference while insisting on inclusion. Finally, Souleymane Konaté reflects on the fundamental values needed for true social cohesion.  

From the broad sweep of society to the intimacy of individual stories, Common Grounds invites you to consider how harmony can grow from diversity — and how the cities of tomorrow can become homes for all. 

The exhibition will be on view until Saturday October 4th, 2025. 

 

Participating artists


Souleymane Konaté (1983)

Ivory Coast

Konaté creates colorful, surrealist scenes where humans, animals, and plants merge. Inspired by Bambara cosmogony, his layered works explore spirituality and urban life. In this series, Konaté draws upon his observations and cultural heritage to represent the shared values essential for living together: dialogue, tolerance, respect, and freedom of expression.    


Feraul Fosso (1996)

Cameroon

Fosso creates vibrant, realistic acrylic paintings that celebrate the beauty of everyday life and social bonds. Drawing inspiration from those who surround him, Fosso portrays scenes of drinking and eating – moments that bring people together, help form strong bonds and nurture social cohesion.  

Kingsley Ogwara (1975)

Nigeria/Luxemburg

Ogwara is known for his richly layered, semi-abstract works that explore human transformation and connection. His paintings evoke the harmony found in the mass, expressing a shared sense of vulnerability and unity. Ogwara’s art invites reflection and encourages to embrace interconnectedness. 

 


Habibi Yayé Keita (1998)

Mali

In her works, Yayé Habibi depicts women with vitiligo - a rare skin condition which causes depigmentation in certain areas, often stigmatised in parts of Africa. Central to her portraits are also intricate hairstyles inspired by traditional African braiding, which highlight cultural identity and personal expression. Through her portraits, Keita Yayé Habibi celebrates resilience and difference, inviting us to embrace social inclusion.  

 

Michael Agemo (1988)

Nigeria

Agemo's work began as a fashion designer in Ivory Coast before returning to his hometown of Badagry, Nigeria. Working with textiles, Agemo creates intimate portrayals of family life, drawing the viewer into the privacy of the home and shared moments, reflecting on the home as both a tightly woven network of relationships and a refuge from the outside world.